Sliding from Before to After
 Last week DDOT released its Southeast Blvd. Feasibility Study, in which the agency "evaluated the feasibility of transitioning a segment of the former Southeast Freeway from 11th Street to Barney Circle into an urban boulevard more consistent with the expected travel demand and the character of the adjacent neighborhood." And what does the feasibility study say? DDOT's report determines that changing the current Southeast Blvd. from the limited-access quick route between 11th Street SE and Barney Circle to a street with connections to its north and south and development along the footprint is feasible, but the transformation "would be neither inexpensive nor quick." The study then goes through the issues that make clear this would not be a snap-the-fingers-and-make-it-so proposition: *Ownership: There are two small parcels within the study area owned by the National Park Service--and we know quickly either arranging for a change in ownership or "coordinating" with NPS can go. The study refers to it as being clear "that there would be significant process requirements and challenges to disposing the NPS and incorporating them into private development." That the process to "surplus" any excess land along the footprint not needed for the road(s) itself is governed by the Federal Highway Administration would also not point to a lightning-quick resolution. * Transit Garages: The inclusion of some location that would allow for the parking of tour buses, transit buses and streetcars {cough}--a big part of DDOT's wishes for the area but something that residents are not particularly keen on--"could be provided at Southeast Boulevard that takes advantage of the location and topography of the site to minimize visual impacts to surrounding neighborhoods and so that vehicles accessing the facility would not use residential neighborhood streets." * Cost: The study's "cursory assessment" says that constructing the transportation elements of the project would cost around $120 million, with a transit garage adding about $65-70 million in costs (in 2015 dollars). This includes reconfiguring Barney Circle into an at-grade signalized traffic circle, raising Southeast Boulevard to the same level as L Street, and constructing a four-lane street that includes sidewalks, bike facilities, and traffic signals. Plus some contingency costs built in. * Schedule: The graphic at right breaks out a not-short ballpark timeline of 10 years for both the "transportation" portion of the project and the land redevelopment project. With all of that, DDOT says that the first step forward is to restart the Barney Circle and Southeast Blvd. Transportation Planning Study begun in 2013, though even that now has a road block, that this Environmental Assessment now can't be completed "until a financial plan for project implementation is identified and included in the regional Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP)." DDOT advises interested groups "to continue discussions with a broad spectrum of stakeholders during the EA to confirm community support for the project, engage with AWI Signatories, and evaluate project costs and funding options." This final draft was presented to ANC 6B's Transportation Committee on Jan. 6, and Capitol Hill Corner reports that DDOT's representative told the committee that there were no "fatal flaws" in any of the Office of Planning's three concepts for reimagining the road--but that it will be "up to ANC 6B to push the project forward" by requesting the environmental assessment. I am skimming it all, so if this project is of interest to you, be sure to read the feasibility report, and perhaps attend ANC 6B's meeting on Jan. 12, at which a draft letter will apparently be considered to support going ahead with the EA. You can also wander through my posts on the subject from the past few years, especially on the completion of the OP study back in July and the three general concepts advanced for how to remake this stretch of land that currently serves as such a barrier between Capitol Hill/Hill East and the Anacostia River.
JDLand.com Home
dude says: (1/11/16 7:42 AM)
Seems like an awful lot of money for what it achieves.
jdc says: (1/11/16 8:32 AM)
To me this is sort of a 'no brainer' in terms of spreading around - and linking to - the massive redevelopment going on in near SE. From the city's perspective, more development = more taxes.
202_cyclist says: (1/11/16 8:56 AM)
@jdc: Exactly right-- someone posted a comment on the Capitol Hill Corner blog estimating the expected future tax revenue of creating an entirely new neighborhood: link Additionally, there are other benefits, such as linking neighborhoods and allowing more people to live in a walkable neighborhood and near transit, including the Potomac Ave station.
monkeyrotica says: (1/11/16 10:22 AM)
More roads = more congestion. Why does this "boulevard" even exist? Instead of spending $120 mil (which will eventually bloat to $200+ mil) just sell the land, build residential/retail, and re-open the north/south streets.
conngs0 says: (1/11/16 11:01 AM)
Agree with jdc. Doesn't the status quo risk maintaining a barrier between the planned development in Hill East by Stadium Armory and the 11th Street Bridge Park and the rest of the Navy Yard area? It sure seems like this would help maximize the returns on those other investments.
jdc says: (1/11/16 12:03 PM)
My fantasy - yes, I may need help - is that the explosive growth and interest in SE, then SW, and then 'eco district' they're building around L'Enfant, will lead to financial incentives sometime in my lifetime to tunneling and locating 695/SE-SE Freeway underground. Basically, selling air rights. It's about 5 miles as configured, and I wonder if that figure could be cut down if it took a more direct route. Yes, everyone will think of the "Big Dig" mess - but, a recent piece sort of exonerated the project and I bet in another 10-20 years it will be an accepted piece of US infrastructure. Plus, the lessons learned and the advancement in drilling will make this an easier project in all likelihood.
conngs0 says: (1/11/16 2:05 PM)
Even in the case of the Big Dig, I don't think it's the project itself that needs exoneration - it's the execution of the project. One of the reasons why the people of Boston were so against hosting the Olympics was that, based on the cost overruns and delays, they had zero faith that their local government could properly execute such a huge expenditure. After all, it's not that hosting an Olympics has to cripple the local economy; it's that hosting an Olympics typical cripples the local economy because the host country/city does such a poor job of planning the games. I have a similar opinion of your fantasy regarding putting the SE Freeway underground. Would it benefit the neighborhood and the city (and commuters)? Could it be a worthwhile project? Absolutely. But you have to have faith in the execution. An even better example of this phenomenon is the Metro 2040 plan. link This would undoubtedly be fantastic for the city. It'll never happen though because the people responsible for implementing such a plan will certainly mess it up! Let's see how the Capitol Crossing project pans out. If that winds up being a success, perhaps there will be more support for significant infrastructure improvement along the lines you have in mind.
Add a Comment:
Comments are closed for this post.
JDLand Comments RSS Feed
See All Current News Items |
Full Blog Archive
|
|
|
Full Neighborhood Development Map
There's a lot more than just the projects listed here. See the complete map of completed, underway, and proposed projects all across the neighborhood.
What's New This Year A quick look at what's arrived or been announced since the end of the 2018 baseball season.
Food Options, Now and Coming Soon
There's now plenty of food options in the neighborhood. Click to see what's here, and what's coming.
Anacostia Riverwalk
A bridge between Teague and Yards Parks is part of the planned 20-mile Anacostia Riverwalk multi-use trail along the east and west banks of the Anacostia River.
Virginia Ave. Tunnel Expansion
Construction underway in 2015 to expand the 106-year-old tunnel to allow for a second track and double-height cars. Expected completion 2018.
Rail and Bus Times Get real time data for the Navy Yard subway, Circulator, Bikeshare, and bus lines, plus additional transit information.
Rail and Bus Times Get real time data for the Navy Yard subway, Circulator, Bikeshare, and bus lines, plus additional transit information.
Canal Park
Three-block park on the site of the old Washington Canal. Construction begun in spring 2011, opened Nov. 16, 2012.
Nationals Park
21-acre site, 41,000-seat ballpark, construction begun May 2006, Opening Day March 30, 2008.
Washington Navy Yard
Headquarters of the Naval District Washington, established in 1799.
Yards Park
5.5-acre park on the banks of the Anacostia. First phase completed September 2010.
Van Ness Elementary School
DC Public School, closed in 2006, but reopening in stages beginning in 2015.
Agora/Whole Foods
336-unit apartment building at 800 New Jersey Ave., SE. Construction begun June 2014, move-ins underway early 2018. Whole Foods expected to open in late 2018.
New Douglass Bridge
Construction underway in early 2018 on the replacement for the current South Capitol Street Bridge. Completion expected in 2021.
1221 Van
290-unit residential building with 26,000 sf retail. Underway late 2015, completed early 2018.
NAB HQ/Avidian
New headquarters for National Association of Broadcasters, along with a 163-unit condo building. Construction underway early 2017.
Yards/Parcel O Residential Projects
The Bower, a 138-unit condo building by PN Hoffman, and The Guild, a 190-unit rental building by Forest City on the southeast corner of 4th and Tingey. Underway fall 2016, delivery 2018.
New DC Water HQ
A wrap-around six-story addition to the existing O Street Pumping Station. Construction underway in 2016, with completion in 2018.
The Harlow/Square 769N Apts
Mixed-income rental building with 176 units, including 36 public housing units. Underway early 2017, delivery 2019.
West Half Residential
420-unit project with 65,000 sf retail. Construction underway spring 2017.
Novel South Capitol/2 I St.
530ish-unit apartment building in two phases, on old McDonald's site. Construction underway early 2017, completed summer 2019.
1250 Half/Envy
310 rental units at 1250, 123 condos at Envy, 60,000 square feet of retail. Underway spring 2017.
Parc Riverside Phase II
314ish-unit residential building at 1010 Half St., SE, by Toll Bros. Construction underway summer 2017.
99 M Street
A 224,000-square-foot office building by Skanska for the corner of 1st and M. Underway fall 2015, substantially complete summer 2018. Circa and an unnamed sibling restaurant announced tenants.
The Garrett
375-unit rental building at 2nd and I with 13,000 sq ft retail. Construction underway late fall 2017.
Yards/The Estate Apts. and Thompson Hotel
270-unit rental building and 227-room Thompson Hotel, with 20,000 sq ft retail total. Construction underway fall 2017.
Meridian on First
275-unit residential building, by Paradigm. Construction underway early 2018.
The Maren/71 Potomac
264-unit residential building with 12,500 sq ft retail, underway spring 2018. Phase 2 of RiverFront on the Anacostia development.
DC Crossing/Square 696
Block bought in 2016 by Tishman Speyer, with plans for 800 apartment units and 44,000 square feet of retail in two phases. Digging underway April 2018.
One Hill South Phase 2
300ish-unit unnamed sibling building at South Capitol and I. Work underway summer 2018.
New DDOT HQ/250 M
New headquarters for the District Department of Transportation. Underway early 2019.
37 L Street Condos
11-story, 74-unit condo building west of Half St. Underway early 2019.
CSX East Residential/Hotel
225ish-unit AC Marriott and two residential buildings planned. Digging underway late summer 2019.
1000 South Capitol Residential
224-unit apartment building by Lerner. Underway fall 2019.
Capper Seniors 2.0
Reconstruction of the 160-unit building for low-income seniors that was destroyed by fire in 2018.
Chemonics HQ
New 285,000-sq-ft office building with 14,000 sq ft of retail. Expected delivery 2021.
Records added or updated recently displayed here; click the "archive" links to see additional detail and older records. All data from DC Government databases and RSS feeds. JDLand takes no responsibility for errors, omissions, etc. (read CapStat disclaimer). Data is retrieved daily.
|
|
No records added or modified in the past two weeks. |
|
Recent Issued Building Permits
| Archive
|
|
1402 1ST ST SE
|
|
11/25/19
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / DAVID C POSTLEWAITE
SB1900412 /
CONSTRUCTION
Parcel G2:WSP will complete four borings up to the deepest potential subgrade elevation (approx. 32 ft. bgs). The proposed boring locations would be in the four quadrants of Parcel G2 to check for spatial variability in contaminant concentrations. WSP will collect and analyze three soil samples from each boring from depths corresponding to potential subgrade elevations (i.e. 10-12 ft. bgs, 20-22 ...
|
1212 4TH ST SE
|
|
11/25/19
FC 1212 LLC / TAMIKA STATON; OTIS
ER2000409 /
SHOP DRAWING
Replace governor car #2 - Part #: TBA20641H6
Replace hoist belts #1 and #4 - Part #: SB0003119
|
1300 4TH ST SE
|
|
11/15/19
ASANA PARTNERS / DEBRA MARSHALL; THE DONOHOE COMPANIES INC
B2001773 /
CONSTRUCTION
ADD EXTERIOR DOOR, ADD INTERIOR DOOR , ANY RELAYED,ELECTRICAL,PLUMBING,
RELOCATING UNBUILT APPROVED NON LOAD BEARING FIRE RATED PARTITIONS @ FIRST FLOOR APPROVED UNDER PERMIT #B1711970. ATTACHED
|
|
|
12/06/19
ASANA PARTNERS / S.A. COMUNALE; S.A. COMUNALE
P2001954 /
SUPPLEMENTAL
|
1346 4TH ST SE
|
|
12/06/19
KAITLYNN MATTEO / W. SAKIE - BHAR; W. SAKIE - BHAR; NA
SG2000117 /
CONSTRUCTION
Install one set of non illuminated sign on to existing store front building
|
861 NEW JERSEY AVE SE
|
|
11/15/19
CSX TRANSPORTATION INC / ERICKA CLARK; DGS CONSTRUCTION
TC2000008 /
CONSTRUCTION
(2) tower cranes
|
|
|
11/26/19
GREYSTAR GP I I, LLC / KIM MITCHELL; KIM MITCHELL
FD1900040 /
CONSTRUCTION
TWO BELOW GRADE PRKING LEVELS, CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALLS, SLAB ON GRADE, COLUMNS ELEVATED DECKS UP TO GRADE WITH UNDERGROUND UTILITIES (MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL)
|
|
|
12/05/19
MIKE ALLEN / JANE MCCRAY
AH2000244 /
CONSTRUCTION
WO# 1611441 - Mike Allen / P. Helgeson. Pepco to install network transformer
|
1111 NEW JERSEY AVE SE
|
|
11/15/19
GALLERY CAPITOL RIVERFRONT PROPERTY LLC / TANYA HILL; THYSSENKRUPP
ER2000366 /
SHOP DRAWING
REPLACE EXISTING 8MM WORN HOIST CABLES WITH LIKE IN KIND ON ELEVATOR #4. WORK TO ALLOW UNIT TO BE RETURNED TO SERVICE.
|
125 O ST SE
|
|
11/25/19
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA / DAVID C POSTLEWAITE
SB1900411 /
CONSTRUCTION
WSP will complete three borings up to the deepest potential subgrade elevation (approx. 32 ft. bgs). WSP assumes that borings will not be installed inside the fleet maintenance facility due to access restrictions imposed by DC Water. The proposed boring locations form an āLā shape around the eastern and southern sides of the fleet maintenance facility. WSP will collect and analyze three soil samp...
|
71 POTOMAC AVE SE
|
|
12/06/19
MPR REALTY / BOB BIROONAK; BOB BIROONAK; ART DISPLAY CO
SG2000099 /
CONSTRUCTION
One building name MAREN
Two set of address numbers all signs are non-illuminated
|
201 TINGEY ST SE
|
|
11/14/19
BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES / DFM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, LLC
AH2000197 /
CONSTRUCTION
Afterhours work at Tingey Square Project. The work performed will be forming, prepping and paving at Tingey Square park. Friday and Saturday the 15th & 16th, from 7PM to midnight. If required, Sunday the 17th from 7AM to 3PM. ANC Support provided. Associated Permit Include PA328164-R1 and PA10760162.
|
227 TINGEY ST SE
|
|
12/02/19
FC 227 LLC / KAYLA SHATTUCK; BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES MANAGEMENT LLC.
RW1900122 /
CONSTRUCTION
Construction of new retaining wall located between Canal Street St and Third Street, SE.
|
300 TINGEY ST SE
|
|
12/04/19
FC BOILERMAKER LLC / ROBERT S. WATTS; ROBERT S. WATTS
E2002289 /
SUPPLEMENTAL
|
AH = After Hours; B = Alteration & Repair; D = Demolition; E = Electrical; FB = Boiler; M = Mechanical; P = Plumbing and Gas; PC = Post Card; R = Raze; SG = Sign; TL = Tenant Layout; TN = Tent; RW = Retaining Wall;
|
|
|
No commercial transaction records added or modified in the past two weeks. |
|
|